The new Elephant Trail at Werribee Open Range Zoo is now open! See the Asian elephant herd roam, swim, and explore their 21-hectare habitat.

Mamma LOVES the Altona Mini Rail in Altona North. Have you heard of Puffing Jilly? No? Well, be sure to come and meet her and all of her convoy each month at the Altona Miniature Railway! Even the most unsuspecting family member will become a train enthusiast after whizzing around the tracks a couple of times. We love the tunnels and spotting each of their trains is a real treat, and there’s even an old tram to play in too!

If you’ve got kids bouncing off the walls, jumping off the back on the couch and scaling the bookshelves then you need to gather them up and head down to Mick’s Jump n’ Play in Melton! This is a massive warehouse filled to the brim with giant inflated jumping castles! So the kids can bounce, roll, run and slide until they are absolutely spent. An under 4’s section is available too for the littlies

The Newport Railway Museum in Newport is a fantastic weekend activity for the family in Melbourne's West. The rich history of Australian trains are on display, plus a fantastic vintage model railway. Get up close and personal with the huge vintage engines and also see the inside of quite a few carriages now, like the old buffet car and gorgeous first class carriage - the beauty is just inspiring. Make a day of it the kids will love it!

What a fantastic family destination and all in Melbourne’s West! Even before the kiddos came along a visit here was a must and now we pop in as often as we can. The open safari bus tour is always a highlight, spotting new animals every time (the elephants, oh my!) and the self guided walking tours are a great way to enjoy your surroundings at your own pace. Pop into the Meerkat cafe if you’re hungry, or have a picnic at the Village Kids playground.

Fairy Park is very special to Mamma. We first visited over 35 years ago and now we just keep coming back with our own kids. The amazing Fairy Park was built in 1959 when the displays were predominantly made by hand and despite being updated it still holds its magical kitschy qualities. The park is FULL of fun from over 20 fairytale displays, a Camelot playground, dragons and inspiring castles. Fairy Park really is the ultimate for family fun - be prepared to make some serious memories!

Mamma LOVES a good family picnic spot and this is up there with the best in Melbourne.. The State Rose Garden in Werribee South is magical with a touch of whimsy where you can’t help feeling that you’ve fallen down Alice’s rabbit hole into an intoxicating flower paradise. The garden itself is meticulously set out in the shape of a rose with shady spots around the edge and a gazebo too.

What a gem of a place! Maze House just outside of Daylesford is a magical place to visit.

Spend an hour here, or the whole day -  you can tailor your fun and do as much or as little as your family can manage.

Scienceworks does such a great job at catering for all ages - The Ground Up exhibition is perfect for the under 5’s.

Holy MAMMA kids - this is going to be your next favourite playcentre to get mum and dad to take you! Crocs just know play centre fun really well and the Hoppers Crossing location is no exception. There is heaps of light and space, with handy different aged 'zones' - like the pirate ship 'cubby' for the under 4's and separate baby area. Mamma LOVES the little trikes and the track that weaves around the large play maze too!

Lollipops in Sunshine is a good one! There is a great play maze for big kids with jumping castle, speed slides, inflatable slide and ball pit, as well as air hockey table, skill testers and some arcade racing games. There is a great play maze for big kids with jumping castle, speed slides, 'airplay' tower complete with ball canons and ball play tables too, Lollipop's in Sunshine has something for everyone!

Back as of November 6! Husband and wife team Damian and Genevieve have done a fantastic job fitting out their indoor space here and Mamma KNOWS you are going to want to have a kids birthday party here once you see the facilities.

Did someone say FRESH?! Fruit doesn't get any fresher than this.  Mamma and the fam have a ball picking fresh cherries, apples and stonefruits at this 'pick your own' fruit farm.  It's a fun activity that the whole family can get involved in - well you'll need every available set of hands to carry back your booty! 

You WILL need good, solid, comfortable footwear that grips, you WILL need to bring some water bottles, you WILL DEFINITELY need your camera

The Organ Pipes themselves are beautiful huge rock columns formed by the cooling and cracking of molten lava from over a million years ago and are the feature of the park.

Now Mamma has a secret – if you have a train fanatic or even if you just like a new adventure then Bulla Hill Miniature Railway is a fantastic way to hang out on a Sunday! The trains take the 1.5 km journey around their winding track, watch out for the dinosaurs and prehistoric friends dotted along the line. There is play equipment here too, a picnic area for after your train ride, and a kiosk

Each Saturday during school terms. How cool is traffic school? Pretty darn cool! This is a great way to spend a couple of hours on a Saturday morning. The traffic school has a neat little set up happening with pedestrian crossings, busy intersections with operating traffic lights, round-a-bouts, train crossings and even a petrol station. 

On the first Sunday of the Month. Love a tuned Mustang? Or how about polished up Monaro? The Men's Shed of Altona put on a mini car show on the first Sunday of every month at their home on Queen Street Altona.  It's grass roots simple, Car Torque is all about cars plus a bit of a BBQ and it really doesn't need to be anything else. 

This is a very exciting facility with an Aqua Playground, shallow pools, lap pools, kids party packages, swimming classes and YES THOSE WATER SLIDES!

This is possibly the West's best kept indoor play secret.  If it's too chilly for outdoor play then trust Mamma - this is an excellent option. There are comfy chairs for you to plonk on and plenty of parents to chat to as your kiddo has some seriously cool pretend play fun.

Mamma says throw on your overalls and gumboots, start chewin' some hay and take a drive to Diggers Rest to visit Animal Land Children's Farm.  Animal Land has so much to see and do - get a pony ride plus visit the animal nursery and then you can feed the ducks on the pond, feed the donkeys and cows and chickens too! This is a self-guided farm so, grab your free animal food and away you go!

Visit Wyndham Harbour this Sunday (Sep 25th) from 11am to 4pm for Free Family Fun Day! Live music, Water Sports, Movie Screenings, Food Trucks and lots more!

Inflatable World is 'jaw dropping' WOW as soon as you enter the building. There is more jumping, sliding, sticking, jousting, running and bouncing than you could even imagine. 

Discover the free RAAF Museum, Point Cook: fighter jets, vintage planes, immersive exhibits and two vast hangars – a family-friendly day out in Melbourne’s West.

Did you know we have a castle here in the West? Well, we do and Overnewton Castle in Keilor is lovely! It's not hard to sell the idea of going to a real-life castle but Mamma says, make sure you check out their High Tea and Tours - so interesting…and delicious. This 175-year-old castle has it all, walls covered in gorgeous vines, four acres of immaculate gardens and the cutest little gazebo.

Batter batter schaWING batter! First and foremost the Melbourne Ball Park is right here in the west.

Mamma loves pulling on some wheels and taking the kids for a spin at the local skate rink and the Sunshine Skate Centre is certainly the perfect spot for doing just that. 

Walking tours now open! This gorgeous farm sits on 200 hectares of land and is dedicated to rehabilitating all kinds of farm animals but particularly horses. Found neglected, discarded after racing or aged and unwell, Horse Shepherd takes them on, provides them vet care and allows them to happily live out their days with the rest of the menagerie at the farm.

What a perfect adventure – a beautiful and fun ferry ride across the bay with stunning city views, followed by a penguin-watching experience at the St Kilda Breakwater wall, where around 1400 Little Penguins make their way to shore at sunset, and the knowledgeable staff are great with kids and questions!

One berry, two berry, pick me a blueberry! This is a place for blueberries lovers, but will also convert those who are on the fence - nothing is as sweet as a blueberry picked fresh from the bush!

This gold mine themed course is so much fun, with 18 easy holes to manoeuvre your little ball into. It’s great for the littlies as it’s all close together and not too many obstacles on the greens. There are two courses here - outdoor and the spookier but really cool Lost Worlds themed course indoors so chose your own adventure.

A fantastic space for the Arts and a magnificent venue for events, the Substation is a cultural hub attracting some big name international performers as well as local artists.

Mamma thinks this is more like a massive waterpark than just a swim centre, and the perfect place to dive in for some indoor aquatic FUN! With a 50 metre pool, learn to swim pool, warm water pool for exercise, toddlers pool, spa and sauna, two massive 12.5 metre high water slide, a water adventure park and a kids splash pad (phew!), you’re going to have a hard time getting the kids to leave!

Strawberry fields forever! Well, until the end of the season anyway! Mamma and co love hunting in these fields of joy for the perfect strawberry - and there are plenty! And even better - this year, there is an abundance of everlasting daisies to pick too! Once you’re finished picking, pop up to the pavilion to grab an ice cream or some of their popular strawberry cups, and play in the sandpit!

When you go through as many blueberries as Mamma’s family, seeing row upon row of these little delicious gems is a sight to see! Otway Blueberries has been around since the 90’s and they provide blueberries all around the Otways and surf coast. You can, of course, pick your own stash here though too - and Mamma sure does LOVE pickin’!!

This little adventure couldn’t be more perfect! The boat ride across the bay is beautiful, stress free, swift, exciting and most of all fun. Your St Kilda destination is gorgeous, arriving at St Kilda pier, immersed in the beachside vibes - it truly feels like you are on a little holiday and now doing penguin tours from Williamstown

Mamma LOVES her mini golf and with a swing like hers - doing it in the dark is a bonus!

The Reading Corner is FREE for everyone to come and enjoy.
 

Ok, so when it comes to parties - Mamma LOVES this place for a fuss free and seriously fantastic kids birthday venue

Mamma Knows you would LOVE a party here!

Mamma is berry berry excited to be able to pick both strawberries and blueberries in one place!
The berry-nice Tuckerberry Hill Berry Farm and café is the perfect place to get your berry fix.

What kind of picking HEAVEN is THIS?

Treat the kids to a taste-bud tantalising High Tea on the high seas!

An icon of the West, immortalised in the old TV show Round the Twist and more recently Masterchef. Dubbed 'the white queen', she sure is majestic.

This is a great all year around kind of fun for the crew - once they get the hang of you'll find it hard to get them off the rink and the smile off their faces. 

This new free splash park (open Summer 2016/17) is great for the kids to cool off. 

A few tips were required and a few unorthodox plays were exhibited ...maybe a few holes skipped but overall a great time was had. The Bellarine Adventure golf is old school and cool with lush greenery, and timber structures and lots of secret passage ways and fun places for the ball to travel.

Mamma has a little secret. On the odd occasion after school drop off, Mamma sneaks out along the freeway and heads to Werribee Mansion… does she go to the Rose Garden? No, she doesn't. Does she go to the Zoo? Nope. Of course not. She heads to the Mansion Day Spa! This is the kind of place where you feel a million miles away from the every day hustle and bustle of life.

Nestled next to the Wombat State Forest are the amazing Gardens of St Erth and historic homestead, run by the popular gardening group - The Diggers Club.  The nursery here will have you inspired to get out in your own backyard and start cultivating that green thumb and it also has a great cafe for a cool drink or a hot bevvy depending on your season!

Introducing the amazing new party space from Little Ginger

Melton Wave Pool is THE only Leisure Centre in Melbourne’s West with a wave pool! This is a great facility and something a little different than the run of the mill pool action...the wave pool  is great fun.

Mamma feels like the family has struck gold with this place. It's just fantastic and only an hour away from the West - you could easily spend a couple of hours or more here and guaranteed some great fun in this swim centre.

Wow, someone put some serious thought and effort into Crocs in Derrimut, it is just fantastic! Spacious, clean, full of the tried-and-true play centre equipment plus some added extra's like electric safari car track, disco/karaoke party room with velvet rope entrance where parents can watch what’s happening via a screen outside the room.